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Prospect Heights Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony For Arlington Countryside Project


Taking part in Friday’s ribbon cutting at Lions Park were (from l. to r.) Peter Falcone, assistant city administrator; Rich Tibbits, city treasurer; Joanna Prisiajniouk, city clerk; State Rep. Mark Walker, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, Acting Mayor Matt Dolick, Deputy City Clerk Karen Schultheis, City Administrator Joe Wade, officer Matt Willis, Mark Roscoe, public works director. (Shawn Clisham/Journal photo)

The city of Prospect Heights held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Arlington Countryside Stormwater Management Improvement last Friday morning at the Lions Park parking lot on Camp McDonald Road.

The groundbreaking ceremony commemorated a major stormwater management improvement that has been a goal of the city’s since the 1980s.

Additionally, it was an opportunity for the city to thank legislative financial sponsors of the project including: U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider and Jan Schakowsky; State Sen. Ann Gillespie, and State Rep. Mark Walker.

Through financial assistance from the American Rescue Plan Act ($2,159,745) and Rebuild Illinois ($260,000), the $4 million project will be completed this summer. The balance is paid by Prospect Heights.

Because of recurring property damage, Prospect Heights identified the Arlington Countryside area, located in the westernmost area of the city, and generally bounded by Olive Street on the north, Windsor Drive on the west, Rand Road on the east, and Oakton Street on the south, as a priority for stormwater management improvements. The neighborhood is topographically a “bowl,” with limited drainage capacity and practically nonexistent overland overflow routes, with Rand Road acting as a “dam.” In typical emergency situations, temporary pumps are utilized to pump water in nearby storm sewers.

As a depressional area, Arlington Countryside has experienced severe flooding and property damage during significant rainfall events. Storms, such as the June 2018 rain event, which dropped 4.02 inches of precipitation in two hours, have left this neighborhood inundated with stormwater, the city says. An engineering solution involves the installation of conveyance sewers to drain and move water from the Arlington Countryside drainage basin to McDonald Creek. A lift station will also be constructed to assist this effort.

To avoid creating flooding problems at McDonald Creek, the rate of release must meet standards of the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources. Project engineering plans have been approved by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and other permitting agencies.

As much of Prospect Heights was developed before the initiation of modern stormwater practices, such as neighborhood detention basins, there are many other areas which have stormwater management issues. Arlington Countryside was chosen because of the history of property damage and its topographical challenges.

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